On December 19, 2001, the first part of New Zealand director Peter Jackson's fantasy film The Lord of the Rings trilogy "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" was released in North America and received numerous accolades; in film history A classic adventure begins here. Eighteen years have passed, and the fairyland-like Zhongzhou in the film still fascinates and fascinates "ring fans" all the time.

As the beginning of the most prestigious film trilogy, "The Fellowship of the Ring" is an excellent example of a film adaptation of an original work, and a feast that perfectly combines visual effects with film and television soundtracks. Now, let us follow the theme song "May it be" sung by Enya for the first film, explore every detail behind Zhongzhou, review the adaptation, casting, soundtrack and filming of those fifteen years ago, and regain those movies It brings us touching moments.

▌The long road to the screen

Attempts to make Tolkien's novel "The Lord of the Rings" into a movie began very early. One day in 1957, two years after the publication of the "Lord of the Rings" novel, literary agent Forrest J. Ackerman knocked on Tolkien's door. He wanted to adapt the novel into an animated film with real people participating. Erjin admired the concept painting he brought, but did not agree on the spot, and the matter subsequently dropped.

But similar ideas were not aborted. The Orcs in the 1978 animated version of "The Lord of the Rings" were played by real actors. The permanent film adaptation rights of the novel changed hands several times after being sold in 1969, and it took nearly ten years of twists and turns before the film was born. The film only told half of the story, and it did well at the box office but did not get a sequel. Two years later, the animated film "The Return of the King" was released. This was a complete story produced by another team as a sequel to the 1977 animated "The Hobbit".

Finally in 1995, the rookie director Peter Jackson was keenly aware that the rapidly developing CGI technology could help the filming of "The Lord of the Rings", and he immediately asked people to negotiate for the filming of a new movie "The Lord of the Rings" However, when his employer Miramax won the adaptation rights two years later, he was already in a career crisis. After seizing the big project of "Lord of the Rings" as a life-saving straw, PJ began preliminary preparations, but the ensuing budget problems almost prevented audiences around the world from participating in an epic masterpiece: Miramax's parent company, Disney, was unwilling to This project increased investment, and the director himself did not want to make an ordinary bad film, so he had no choice but to change hands on the project.

The Weinstein Brothers, which had previously invested $10 million in the Peter Jackson project, were very anxious and asked PJ to find a new buyer within three weeks. PJ had no choice but to record a 36-minute video to introduce his project, and finally found a buyer who was willing to take over the project under strict requirements within three weeks - New Line Cinema. Originally, PJ was worried that his plan to make the film into two parts would be the reason for the rejection of the project, but the question that New Line Cinema CEO Bob Shaye asked them after watching the tape has become one of the most talked about in film history. Le Dao’s story:

“Since there are three novels, why don’t you make three movies?”

Of course, New Line officials later stated that the decision to make a trilogy was due to Commercial considerations, but this sentence undoubtedly saved this sinking ship; the legal process of changing hands of the copyright was completed in a few weeks. What PJ will be busy with next is to re-write a script for the trilogy. With the support of a new financial backer, the film's future looks bright.

So, as we were about to enter the new century, Peter Jackson, with his amazing determination and overwhelming talent, ended the half-century long run of film adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings" , handed over a perfect answer that attracted the attention of the world.

▌A colorful cast line-up

The Aragon who "takes the role from his son"

The Aragon portrayed by Viggo Mortensen is the star of the entire film One of the soul characters, but who would have thought that this cool and handsome Aragorn was temporarily brought to the rescue by the crew, and if it weren't for his son's persuasion, he might not have accepted the movie!

It turned out that the crew originally chose another actor to play this role, but after filming started, it was discovered that this actor was too young and could not handle the weathered Aragorn. But the filming has already started, and there are only a few days left before the Aragorn scenes need to be filmed. This makes the crew very anxious!

Viggo Mortensen suddenly received a call from the crew at home, asking him if he would like to go to New Zealand to film "The Lord of the Rings". However, Viggo had never read the book. , don’t know this story either! Not showing much interest, he said on the phone that he would think about it. But the crew, who were already in a desperate state, really wanted him to play the role, so they begged him not to think about it too long and give them an answer that afternoon. Coincidentally, this call was heard by his son Henry, and Henry was a Lord of the Rings fan. What a coincidence! Is The Lord of the Rings going to be made into a movie? ! Someone asked my dad to play Aragorn? Finally, the good father Vigo took over the role, and this was the classic "Aragorn". Even director Peter Jackson couldn't help but say that the person he should be most grateful to for convincing Vigo to participate was his son Henry.

The director is his fan

Tall stature, majestic image, sharp eyes, rich voice...Sir Christopher Lee played the white-robed wizard Saruman to life. He is the "Lord of the Rings" expert in the crew and a huge "Lord of the Rings" fan. He has read this series of works as soon as they were published, and has re-read it every year since then! His dream is that this work will one day be adapted for the big screen and that he will play a role in it.

In addition, he is probably the only person in the crew who has met Professor Tolkien, and his role as Saruman was also invited by the director himself. It turns out that director Peter Jackson is a fan of his and especially likes to watch movies starring him! The two hit it off immediately, and four months after filming began, Sir Lee flew to New Zealand. The director himself was also excited when his idol joined the cast: "Your idol stars in your movie, and you are the director to film for him. Oh my god, this feels so great!"

A bit player Counterattack

He was originally just a bit player who appeared for less than 3 seconds, but because of his impressive appearance, he became so popular that he became a character with a name and a role. This is Brett Michael Kenzi staged a "big counterattack".

He originally played a small role in "The Fellowship of the Ring" and only appeared for a few seconds at the Council of Elrond. However, because he looked like an elf shota who was so tender that he could pinch water, he was criticized by sharp-eyed people. The audience found out and asked who he was. But the bit player didn't have a name, so fans nicknamed him Figwit, "Frodo is great...who is that?" (Frodo is great...who is that?), and built him a Website. In this way, his popularity alarmed the crew, and the director specially added a role for him, and he played another elf in "The Return of the King". Although he still had no name, he had a close-up and lines at least!

This is not the end yet. When filming "The Hobbit", the crew invited him back to play Elrond's secretary Lindir. He went from a supporting actor who appeared for 3 seconds to playing the role of He Gan. Dolph and other protagonists are the same actors throughout the six parts, and this supporting role is also a capital of "service"!

The twists and turns of the Supreme Ring

As the core conflict of this film, the Supreme Ring Naturally, the cast members did their part to design the Supreme Ring. In March 1999, the crew approached Swedish goldsmith Jens Hansen and asked him to help draw some design drawings.

But Hansen refused, saying that he had no interest in fantasy stories, and he couldn't read such books at all! The crew originally planned to find someone else, but a few days later they received a call from Hansen, "I was scolded to death by my son! I didn't expect this ring to be so important! Well, I'm willing to help you design it!" Finally, he asked Peter submitted 15 ring prototypes of his own design. During the filming of the film, about 40 kinds of rings of different materials and sizes were used to cope with different scenes.

Unfortunately, Hansen died of cancer before the movie was released and could not see the Lord of the Rings he designed on the big screen...

▌Ingenious set design

Building Hobbiton

The beautiful, quiet and peaceful Hobbiton is where the story begins and ends. Nestled against the green rolling hills, Hobbitons are located in row upon row. The cottage, garden, vegetable garden and farmland, the cute little house with an old oak tree growing on the roof is of course Bag End!

Hobbiton was filmed at Matamata in the town of Waikato. This was originally a famous dairy-producing town in the North Island of New Zealand. It had large green pastures, large white clouds scattered in the blue sky, and clear streams flowing quietly next to the village. Peter Jackson came here with two concept designers, Alan Lee and John Howe, when they were looking for locations. The two painters were immediately fascinated by the scenery and sat on the hillside one after another to take out their paintbrushes. Suddenly, houses, gardens, paths, and stone walls followed the undulations of the mountains and flowed out of their paintings, as if they were created in nature.

The next step is the work of the set team. They first built a 4-5 square meter model based on the sketch and "talked about it on paper", and then began to excavate the house on site, organize the garden, and plant various plants. Art director Dan Hannah told Peter that the grass here should look like it has existed for a long time, the fruit trees should be full of real fruits, and everything should be natural. So Peter asked, how long do you think it will take to get it done? Dan's reply was that it would take a year. Peter said, OK, one year is no problem. Therefore, the exterior scenes of Hobbiton were restored for a year before filming began, allowing the hand of nature to erase all traces of artificiality.

Unfortunately, because it was not built according to permanent building standards, Hobbiton slowly fell into disuse after the filming was completed. The crew learned their lesson and when filming "The Hobbit", everything was built to the standards of permanent buildings. Now Hobbiton has become New Zealand's most popular tourist hotspot.

Glen, Allan Lee Sanatorium

Part of the exterior set for Glen was set in Kaitok Regional Park in Wellington. In order to highlight the concept of the union between elves and nature, many elegant and smooth lines were used in the design of this set, with the design style of 19th century Art Nouveau or Celtic culture. When thinking about the setting, Alan Lee had the idea of ????what kind of place he wanted to stay after retirement, so he designed this place to look like! As a result, the valley he wrote exudes a tranquil and elegant atmosphere, as if it is a sanatorium with its own aura of "recovering blood".

The palace of Lord Elrond was shot in a studio. Elrond was a wise man, so he had a luxurious library in his palace, which contained a variety of exquisite books, sculptures and paintings. The most important collection is the fragment of Nasil's holy sword that cut off Sauron's finger. Surrounding it, the walls are covered with murals recording the history of elves. These murals were all painted by hand, and the one where Isildur cuts off Sauron's finger was done by Alan Lee himself.

Alan Lee particularly liked this set. Not only did he design it, he also painted murals and painted it himself, and even wanted to sleep in Frodo's bed! It's a pity that it couldn't be realized due to the props team.

▌The magical visual effects of Peter the Great

Oscar owes him a statuette

There is also a character in "Lord of the Rings" who is both loved and hated. ——Gulu, his "My Preciousss" can be blurted out by thousands of movie fans.

When it comes to Gollum, we have to talk about actor Andy Serkis and motion capture technology.

Motion capture technology allows actors to wear special tights, with small dots attached to the clothes and face to track the actor’s movements and expressions, and then combines the captured movements with virtual modeling to make the character’s Movements and expressions are more realistic and natural. Peter initially planned to use computer animation to create Gollum, bringing in Andy to simply voice him. Unexpectedly, Andy completely integrated into the character and hoped to play Gollum himself. Andy showed Peter his performance of Gollum and was so impressed that he got the role.

Unlike others, Andy could only perform in the air in a tight suit in an empty studio. The motion capture technology at that time was not mature and the equipment always crashed. Despite the difficulties, Andy brought Gollum to life, perfectly interpreting this tortured character with a split personality; they also did not expect that this technology would change movies.

Gollum was the first character to use motion capture technology in film history. Since then, Andy has been fascinated by motion capture performances, playing the role of a gorilla in "King Kong", the captain in "The Adventures of Tintin", and Playing Caesar in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"... He continues to study and challenge himself, bringing us countless real and vivid characters on the screen. He also opened a motion capture school and professional studio. In 2003, "The Two Towers" won him the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. But that year, he was turned away from the Olympics because of "computer post-production".

The world is constantly changing, precisely because of these outstanding filmmakers who allow us to see the infinite from the small screen.

The secret of the “cutest height difference”

The colorful Middle-earth under Peter’s lens is indispensable for those cute races. Humans, elves, hobbits, dwarves... among the Fellowship of the Ring, Legolas and Gimli stand together and have the "cutest height difference". However, John-Rhys Davies, who plays Gimli, is actually the tallest actor in the Fellowship of the Ring! The actions of the Fellowship of the Ring run through the entire movie. How should Peter make John, who is 1.85 meters tall, so short?

The most commonly used one is the stand-in. The crew hired many dwarf stuntmen, who were small in stature but rich in experience. However, a stand-in can only be used in shots where the actor's face cannot be seen. What if the face can be seen?

Peter is also good at using visual differences, making the near and far smaller; when the two appear very close in the camera, the hobbit/dwarf actor stands much further away than the human! After Gandalf appeared, he and Frodo sat in the same car. In fact, that car was specially made, and Frodo's seat was more than half a meter farther than Gandalf! While Gandalf and Frodo were in front of the fireplace throwing the Ring into the fire, Gandalf was crouching on a shelf. For the scene in Bag End, two sets of sets and props were made, one for Gandalf and one for The Hobbit, which were shot separately and then combined.

How did you achieve that scene where the birthday party was full of hobbits and Gandalf stood in the middle? The answer is - Gandalf is a dummy! As for the scene where Arwen and Frodo ride together, the Frodo in Arwen's arms is also a dummy. If you look closely at the movie, you can see that the whole thing is revealed!

▌A fantasy epic woven with musical notes

Film musician Howard Shaw won his first Oscar for his outstanding performance in "The Fellowship of the Ring", defeating fellow nominees Excellent works such as "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and "A Beautiful Mind". The soundtrack of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of his most outstanding creations. It uses orchestra and mixed chorus to express the movements, while adding extensive use of organ and harp, supplemented by national instruments from all over the world in special sections, such as Bosnian flute, Norwegian Harden horn, Tunisian rebbe, etc., to achieve the most perfect artistic tension.

With the help of linguist David Sallo, Howard's choruses all have lyrics in the corresponding language according to the theme of the scene, whether it is the Elvish Elegy of Gandalf in the forests of Lothlórien, or Murray's The powerful dwarf war cry on the sub-abyss, the perfection of every detail, gives the music full individual expression.

At the same time, Howard's careful selection of singers for each solo, the appropriate matching of voices for each chorus, and the precise interpretations of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra are all indispensable factors for the success of the score.

Frodo’s Song of the Shire (Part 1)

Just as the story begins in this peaceful land of the Hobbit, the theme phrase of the Shire is the audience’s first memory of the film . Howard Shaw called this theme "The Song of the Shire"; it was played for the first time on the screen fifteen years ago today, and the captivating melody made the listener intoxicated in the peace and comfort of Hobbiton. As the fire crackled, Bilbo, who was immersed in his case, began to write. The gentle and relaxing tunes flowed, and Bilbo's leisurely narration brought out a humorous montage of the hobbits living happily in the Shire. The Shire is the main stage in the first part of the film, in which the emergence of this theme is always accompanied by the harmony and liveliness of the plot; but then, it continues to develop along with Frodo's mental journey during his journey, and gradually sublimates into a greater meaning.

Frodo recovers from his injuries in the glen after going through many hardships along the way. At first, there are only springs and birdsong in the background; then Sam rushes to the bedside in surprise, and the song of the Shire quietly rises from this tranquility. Starting from Elrond's appearance, it developed into the melody of Rivendell. Frodo walks through Rivendell with Sam and reunites with Merry and Pippin. Their laughter was processed into an echo, and the glorious theme of the Glen filled the whole scene and reached its peak; but at this time, the camera followed Frodo's eyes and looked at Bilbo in a corner of the garden, old but at ease.

The direction of the music wind was as smooth as flowing water, and the core phrases of the Song of the Shire sounded just right. Like Frodo, the listeners all saw what they loved in Bilbo’s familiar but old smile. My hometown far behind me. The melody still continues, and is further developed when Frodo sees the map of the Shire in Bilbo's book: "I miss the Shire so much, I miss this place that I have dreamed of leaving since I was a child. I really want to leave here and experience The same adventure as yours... But now it seems that my adventure story is so different."

Unlike Bilbo back then, Frodo was burdened with the fate of Middle-earth at the beginning of his adventure. Therefore, there are many crises; he bears an unimaginable burden, and his heart that has just gained a little peace is rippled by the emergence of his hometown.

Frodo's Song of the Shire (Part 2)

The journey faces more twists and turns in the Mines of Moria. Faced with numerous obstacles from powerful enemies, the Fellowship of the Ring had to choose this dangerous and dark path in order to successfully cross the mountain. As the party hesitated at the fork, Frodo's inner struggle became more intense. In the silence, the strings changed from high to slow, and the melody of the Song of the Shire flowed out of the strange and unknown tension. Frodo expressed his tiredness and wavering to Gandalf: "I really hope that the Ring has not come to me. ... I wish this had not happened!" Gandalf replied: "Everyone thinks so when the time comes, but we can't decide what we should do. Face the present moment where you are." Accompanied by the tunes of his hometown, Frodo once again strengthened his will to face the heavy burden. What he wants to save this time is not only the free creatures of Central Continent, but also the homeland he has always loved.

The Song of the Shire appears again long after Gandalf falls into the abyss. The Fellowship of the Ring spent the night by the river Anduin, and Frodo was still surrounded by self-blame and worry, becoming increasingly haggard. At this time, he gradually understood that he could only bear his burden alone, and relying on his companions would only put them in danger, whether they sacrificed themselves to protect him or gradually succumbed to the temptation of the Lord of the Rings. When Sam approached and persuaded him to eat, the memory of Ciel sounded along with Sam's concern and music, but this time it brought a little sadness and helplessness. Sam said that he promised Gandalf that he would help look after Frodo, but the latter only responded sadly: "No, Sam, you can't help me. You can't help me this time."

End of the film , the song of the Shire was played repeatedly. After getting rid of Boromir who finally obeyed his desire and came to snatch the Ring, Frodo finally made up his mind to leave his companions and embark on the dangerous journey to Mordor alone.

Standing alone on the river bank, the whistling wind in his ears warned him that the future was uncertain. But why is he and not others shouldering such a heavy burden? When the fate of the world suddenly depends on him, how can he face the inescapable challenge? The long strings of the prelude move from far to near, and Gandalf's answer still rings in the ears, coming from the seemingly hopeless darkness of the mine: "Everyone who is born in the right time thinks so, but we can't decide it. All we can The decision is how to face the present moment where you are."

The camera turned to Frodo, who burst into tears as the melody of the Song of the Shire eased but began to grow distant. At this point, he finally put aside his doubts, ended his struggle, stepped onto the river boat with firm belief, and set off for the east bank. After rescuing Sam, who insists on diving with him, the warmth of hometown represented by Sam spreads with the lines; when the two hug tightly, the melody that has just experienced a sublimation suddenly turns around, and the strings are smoothly replaced by the original harmonious flute sound , the listener seems to return to the simple countryside where the story begins, but these two hobbits, who were originally leisurely and carefree, are now in a strange land and are about to embark on a long journey full of dangers.

At the end of the film, the camera moves from bottom to top from Frodo and Sam, to the barren wilderness and strange peaks, to the distant land of Mordor; the hopeful excitement of the Song of the Shire gradually becomes steady and powerful , accompanied by the beat of drums, the more twists and turns of the music began to change and rise. Frodo has long understood that there is no return for him, but Sam remains stubbornly optimistic. Frodo immediately looked back: "Sam, I'm so glad to have you with me." The gradually lower variation came to life again, flowing out a gentle but brighter flute sound, and two small but strong hobbits stepped on the steps in the desolate distance. After embarking on a dark journey, "The Fellowship of the Ring" ends with The Song of the Shire.

This was the last round of emotion that the audience received fifteen years ago, and this acclaimed piece of fairy music continues to echo with this emotion to this day.

▌The far-reaching influence of "The Lord of the Rings" is the benchmark for fantasy movies

There is a difference between "good" movies and "great" movies. Good movies can satisfy the needs of viewers. , providing a pleasant viewing experience. And great film works must have a profound impact on the field of film beyond that. There is no doubt that the "Lord of the Rings" series deserves this kind of evaluation.

First of all, if Professor Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" itself is the originator of fantasy literature in the Western world, then "The Fellowship of the Ring" can also be regarded as the creation of the "fantasy movie" One of the pioneers of the genre. As the movie slowly unfolds, the magnificent scenery, the short hobbits, the handsome and elegant elves, the brave and stout dwarves, the ugly and bloodthirsty Oaks... seems to be unfolding in front of the audience's eyes. A real exotic world has brought a great impact to the audience in terms of vision and imagination.

It can be said that this series of movies has become the benchmark for fantasy movies. Whenever a fantasy movie is released, film critics will subconsciously compare it with "The Lord of the Rings". Its name appears frequently in reviews of fantasy movies. What's interesting is that, 15 years after the first film was released, there is still no fantasy movie that has reached the heights of the "Lord of the Rings" series. It has been chased but still not surpassed.

Secondly, its shooting method has greatly promoted the development of film technology, the first of which is motion capture technology. The innovation of film technology has brought about one wave of great developments in the film industry. People seem to have become accustomed to it, and they even question the innovation of technology, just like questioning whether Ang Lee shoots an actor's face at 120 frames per second. Showed something the same. But fifteen years ago, mankind had just crossed the threshold of the millennium. Computers were not yet popular, and smartphones were out of the question. For most people, movie stunts were just models with a little computer processing. At this moment, Gollum appeared on the big screen. It was obvious at first glance that he was not a real person. His eyebrows, eyes, movements and demeanor were just like those of a human being. The audience could not help but be deeply impressed by him. Characters synthesized through motion capture and real actors share the stage to interpret the joy, anger, sorrow and joy of the plot. This is in itself a victory of technology.

In addition, "The Lord of the Rings" was also the first film to use green screen shooting on a large scale and then use computer synthesis in post-production. The towering Mount Doom, Barad-dur with the burning eyelidless eye, the glorious underground hall Moria, etc. are all the brainchild of digital animation workers.

Thirdly, the "Lord of the Rings" series is a rare film that has achieved three successes at the box office, word-of-mouth and awards. It tells people that fantasy movies that sell well at the box office are not necessarily popcorn, but can also be works of art and Excellent product.

In terms of box office, "The Fellowship of the Ring" in 2001 grossed 871 million US dollars worldwide; followed by "The Two Towers" in 2002 and "The Return of the King" in 2003, which grossed 926 million and 1.12 billion respectively. It collected US dollars and won the global box office championship in the past two years. In terms of word-of-mouth, the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy ranks 8th ("The Return of the King"), 11th ("The Fellowship of the Ring") and 15th ("The Two Towers") on the IMDb rating list.

In terms of awards, the "Lord of the Rings" series, as a fantasy work, has gained mainstream favor for the first time. "The Fellowship of the Ring" received 13 nominations at the 74th Academy Awards, including "Best Picture", "Best Film" and "Best Film". "Best Director" and "Best Screenplay" were such heavyweight awards. In the end, it lost to "Beautiful Mind" in the "Best Picture Award". Although it was an honorable defeat, it also won the cinematography, visual effects, makeup, Four awards for soundtrack. "The Return of the King" swept the 76th Oscars and won 11 statuettes including "Best Picture", "Best Director", "Best Adapted Screenplay", etc. It is a miracle! Only three films in Oscar history have received this honor. Even though in recent years, high-investment films with dazzling visual effects have been released one after another, it is extremely difficult to gain recognition in the above three aspects.

It is said that movies are about telling stories. In fact, the story of "Lord of the Rings" is not complicated, but telling a simple story well is not easy. It requires directors, screenwriters, actors, including investors, etc. The collective efforts of the crew members. It can be seen from the previous behind-the-scenes stories that all the staff from the investors to the director to the crew had a heartfelt love for this work and hoped to present the audience with a wonderful and smooth story to overcome many difficulties. After three years of hard work, we finally achieved such fruitful results. Therefore, it is not impossible to tell a wonderful story while pursuing visual effects. In the final analysis, the touch and feeling to be conveyed to the audience is the most important. A film lacking this will lose its soul. This is probably why the "Lord of the Rings" series is still praised for a long time.